Earth boring rig for tractors



R. BERNER 2,859,014

EARTH BORING RIG FOR TRACTORS 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR 4pm/'JW y;

Nov. 4, 1958 Filed Aug. 26, 1955 Nov. 4, 1958 R, BERNER EARTH BORING RIG FOR TRACTORS 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 26, 1955 I NVENTOR ATTORNEYS Spion/Jb Nav. 4,'1958 R, BRNER 2,859,014

EARTH BORING RIG FOR TRAcToRs Filed Aug. 26, 1955 l 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR i @3m Y//JWJWJSPM ATTORNEYS EARTH BORING RIG non TRACToRs Ray Berner, Rock Valley, Iowa Application August 26, 195s, serial No. 530,664

s Claims. (ci. Z55- 20) This invention relates to devices for boring or augering holes in the earth, particularly holes such as are used for the laying of pipe linesor conduits and which may extend substantially horizontally under the pavements of sidewalks, streets and roadways, or under or around other obstructions, and, as distinguished from other devices for a similar purpose, it is embodied in a combination of elements constituting a ring which may be mounted upon, and may receive power for its drive from, any of a variety of known wheeled tractors which are normally provided with power take-oit members.

One object of the invention is to provide an earth boring rig which not only has the advantage of being associated with a known type of tractor as an operative assembly therewithbut which when not being used for boring, will in no way conflict with, or hamper, the nor-A mal use of the tractor and will, further-more, be transportable by the tractor from job to job with great facility.

A further object is to provide a tractor attached earth boring rigwhich may be operated to tunnel beneath a roadway, sidewalk or the like without necessitating the digging of a bell hole or similar excavation as is now the` customary practice, for lowering the `entire boring machine to the boring level. p

Still another object is to provide an earth boring rig which will be inexpensive to acquire and maintain and which, being provided as an attachment for various types of tractors, many of which are always owned by or available to contractors and municipalities, may-expeditiously be put into use.

A still further object is to provide an earth boring rig which is especially adaptable to the performance of small jobs which would ordinarily not warrant the transportation and use of specialized boring equipment and would therefore be done wholly manually.

`With these `and other objects in view, and the many advantages obtained, as will hereinafter be apparent, the invention may be defined as comprising, broadly, an earth boring rig for tractors of the. type having a power takeoi, including a boring head having a rotatable spindle normally disposed with its axis substantially horizontal and adapted to be fitted with a boring tool such as an auger bit, means for so mounting this boring head upon a tractor, preferably at the front end thereof, that it may be raised and lowered with relation to ground level and may be adjusted angularly to the horizontal, transmission-means coupled to the power take-off and lixed on the tractor, usually remote fromthe front end thereof, and provided with an arbor to which rotation* is imparted through the transmission means from the power take-off of the tractor, and a shaft connecting the arbor and spin dle as by universal joint means and preferably having telescoping parts which will accommodate its length to the varying distance between the arbor and spindle occasioned by vertical and angular adjustment of the boring head, all as will be explained hereinafter more fully and finally claimed.l 'j t j `In, the accompanying'drawiugs illustrating the inven- United States Patent() f vIce,

- 2 tion, in' the several figures of which like parts are similarly designated:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the elements constituting the earth boring rig of the invention shown in their assembly in relation to a conventional tractor illustrated in dot-and-dash lin'es, and indicating raised and lowered positions of the boring head andassociated parts in full and broken lines, respectively. l Fig. 2 is an enlarged side elevation, with parts broken away, of the boring head and its mounting means.

Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a sectional elevation taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2 and Fig. 5 is a `greatly enlarged rear elevation of the transmission means showing its association with the rear axle of the tractor which is indicated in dot-and-dash lin'es.

Having reference particularly to Fig. l, it will be seen that the boring head 1 has end flanges 1a, 1b which are provided with central openings sized to receive, and support for rotation in suitable bearings, a spindle Z which extends. through the head 1. A Illange 2a on' spin-Y dle 2.abuts flange 1b and serves as one stop for spindle 2. A coupling sleeve 3 is secured upon the other end of spindle 2 by means of a set screw 3a. This coupling sleeve also includes llange 3b which Vbears against flange 1a and a socket 3c to receive and drive the tank or shank of an auger bit 4. The rear end of the spindle 2 is connected through a universal joint 5, the complemental telescoping members 6 and 7 of a drive shaft, and a universal joint 8 with the arbor 9 of the transmission means 10 (Figs. l an'd 5).

The transmission-means include a reduction gearing (not shown), coupled with the power take-off shaft 11 of the tractor, a reversing gear (not shown) responsive to shifting of the lever 12, and a back shaft 13 which, through the chain 14 and speed-reducing sprockets 15 and 16, the latter of which is keyed to the arbor 9, will drive the arbor 9, and through it the shaft 6-7 and spindle 2 either clockwise or counter-clockwise. In the par' ticular embodiment illustrated there is a four-to-one reduction in speed from the. power take-off shaft 11 to the arbor 9, this having been found in practice most suitable.

It will be noted that the transmission means are rigid` ly mounted in lixed relation to the rear axle of the tractor by bolting the gear casing to tractor frame elements 17 and 18. Normally, the chain and sprocket gearing 14, 15, 16 will beencased, but a showing of such a casing has been omitted in the interest of clearness.

The head 1 which houses `the spindle 2 and the housing 19 of the arbor 9 are bothpreferably provided with antifriction bearings, are packed with grease and are provided with grease an'd dirt seals for their respective rotary elements, but these structural refinements being of known form have not been illustrated.

The mounting means for attaching the boring head 1 to the front end of the tractor includes a base plate 20 attached horizontally by suitable means such as bolts, not. shown, to the front frame member of the tractor and to this base plate are welded two laterally spaced uprights 21 to which are welded a cross member 22 provided at its ends with angle braces 23 bolted to it andto elements on the side frame members of the tractor.

For accommodating the boring head 1 to vertical adjustment, as is desired, relatively slidable mounting members are provided, including preferably, a pair of tubular elements 24 aflixed to the boring head as by welding and spaced axially of said head in order to' impart to it the desired axial directional stability,` andy these elements v are telescopically received within complementarytubular elements or sleeves 25 secured at their lower ends, as by welding, to lever arms 26 pivotally connected at 27 to j pivot Ibrackets 28 secured tothe base plate 20. For imparting lateral rigidity to these lever arms they are provided with angle braces 29secured to them and pivoted at 30 to the uprights -Ztlconcentric with .the pivots 27 -of of the lever arms (Figs. 2 and 4). By this arrangement it will be apparent that by tilting the :telescoping members backward .or forward inline with the axis lof the boring head 1 .the horizontal angle `of theboring Ehead, and hence ofthe boring tool or auger 4 carried by its spindle 2 may be varied.

Substantially midway of .the height of .the sleeves 25, and preferably in tangential contact with them there are providedside guides .31 ixedly attached tothe .cross member 22and givenlateral rigidity Lby angle @braces .32 .secured to them and to the cross member 22 (Figs. 1, 2, and 3).

Adjustment of the horizontal 4angle .of the .boring head 1 is effected and maintained through adjustment of the vertical .angle :of .the telescoping 4members .24 and 25 by means ,of a pair of :bars 33 which .embrace the sleeve members 25 and kare joined .at their forward .ends by .a bolt 34 and spacing sleeve 35 and at their rear :ends by a block 36 having :a screw-.threaded bore engaged .by an adjusting screw 37 having a crank handle 38 vand carried by a bearing member 3.9 4pivoted at 40 in brackets 41 projecting rearwardly from ythe upper ends ofthe Iuprights 21 (see Figs. 2 and 3). ,Secured to one of the sleeve members 2S as by welding (Fig. 3) is a cross pin 42 the ends of which maybe engaged with any of .a plurality of Vnotches 43 :arranged in laterally aligned pairs in .the two bars 33 and -thus an approximate ,adjustment of the horizontal angle of the boring head 1 may be arrived at, and the exact desired adjustment may be obtained by proper actuation of the adjusting screw 37.

.In order to support the weight of the boring head l, and those parts which are movable with it, during transport and when it is not in operation, .and to maintain and facilitate adjustmentof its horizontal angle as determined by the cooperative action .of the pin 42 and the notches 43 of the bars 33, resilient counterbalance means are pro.

vided including a pair of tension springs 44 having one end attached to the xed angle braces 32 and their other ends joined .to links 45 pivotally connected to the pivoted angle braces 29.

Pressure-Huid actuated means are provided for imparting vertical movement to the boring head, including a hydraulic or air cylinder 46 suspended by a link 47 from oppositely disposed spacing and strut members 48 secured at the upper ends .of the sleeve members 25, and a piston 49 (Fig. 2) having its piston rod '50 attached to the boring head 1. Pressure-Huid may be introduced into and exhausted from the two ends of the cylinder 46, above and below the piston 49, by way of conduits 51 and 52, respectively, controlled by suitable manually actuated valve means, not shown.

When the boring head 1 is in its elevated position, as when inoperative -or during transport, it may be thus maintained by stop pins,-not shown passed through properly located holes 53, formed in the upper ends -of the tubes 24 so as to rest .upon .the upper ends of -the sleeve members 25.

From .the foregoing it will be apparent that -the .three main elements of .the boring rig of the invention, namely the boring head 1 with its mounting means, therdrive shaft 6 7, and the :transmission member 10 may be applied .to and removed from :a .tractor of appropriate type without Vmoditication ofsuch tractor but merely Iby bolting the mounting -means of the boring head to the front and side frame members of the tractor, andr bolting the transmission member to :rear `frame members of the tractor lin .appropriate koperative Vassembly with the power take-olf shaft 151. 'The -shaft 6-7 being thereafter coupled to thearbor-9f and spindle Zby means ofthe -universal joints 5 and 8, respectively.

l'In `order to freadily handle the boring head and its Cil mounting means which, of necessity are rather heavy, the upper ends of the sleeve members 25 joined by the spacing and strut members 48 .are provided with an eye 54 to receive the lead of any suitable hoisting mechanism.

A major application for the improved boring rig of the present invention lies in tunneling beneath a paved roadway, sidewalk or the like for the purpose of carrying a pipe line beneath the same. ,In usual practice a trench to receive the pipe line is dug to the side of the pavement by conventional trench digging machinery. The tractor with the boring rig is then positioned in straddling relation over the ditch and the boring head withauger attached is then lowered to the proper depth. Power is then applied to arbor 9 and shafting 6 7 through the transmission means to rotate the boring head spindle 2 and auger 4 and start the boring and the tractor is gradually advanced in the boring direction as the auger cuts into the earth. Most tunnels to be driven are generally horizontal but deviations in the tunnel axis from true horizontal are made possible by means of the pivotal adjusting assembly comprising the pivotally connected lever 26 and the notched bars 33 previously described.

If the boring is to be done in the side wall of a cut or other excavation large enough to receive and admit of maneuvering of the tractor, a complete string of auger bits may be attached to the boring head spindle 2 and fed to the work by the tractor.

It will thus be seen that the boring rig of the invention has practical advantages over any apparatus for a similar purpose now known, not only because of its relatively inexpensive nature, its adaptability for application to tractors of .known types, its ease of transportation `from job to job, and Von the job, but also because of its maneuverability and versatility in the performance of boring operations of numerous types and the saving in costs of such operations.

Various changes and Vmodifications are consideredtobe within the principle of the invention and the scope ofthe following claims.

I claim:

l. In an earth boring rig for mounting upon a tractor having a power take-olf, a boring head provided with la rotatable spindle for carrying a boring ytool Vupon a lsubstantially horizontal axis, means for mounting said boring head upon said tractor in spaced relation to its power take-off, said mounting means including -relatively 'vertically slidable stationary and movable members, said movable member being connected to said boringihead and said stationary lmember being secured to a mounting structure adapted to be attached to lthe tractor, means for imparting sliding movement to said Amovable member thereby to eiect a vertical adjustment of said boring head with respect to the ground in 'order that the fboring tool may enter the ground at a predetermined distance below the surface thereof, power transmission means mounted on said tractor adjacent to said power vtake-olf and including an arbor rotatively driven thereby, land shaft means coupled to said spindle and the arbor -ofsaid power transmission means and serving to impart rotation to said spindle, said shaft means being extensible to accommodate it to vertical adjustment of said boring head.

2. An earth boring rig as claimed in claim l, in which the relatively vertically slidable members comprise telescoping tubular elements.

3. An earth boring lrig as claimed in claim l, in which the means for imparting relative sliding movement to said relatively vertically slidable members include pressure lluid actuated cylinder and piston elements mounted for reaction between said members.

4. An earth boring rig as claimed in claim l, in which the connection between said stationary member and said mounting structure includes pivot means whereby the horizontal angle of said spindle and boring tool .may be adjusted and means for maintaining such adjustment.

5. An earth boring rig as claimed in claim 4, in which resilient means are interposed between said stationary member and said mounting structure, said resilient means serving to counterbalance the weight of said boring head and the means for its vertical adjustment.

6. An earth boring rig as claimed in claim 4, in which the means for maintaining angular adjustment of said boring head include means carried by said stationary member and said mounting structure respectively.

7. An earth boring rig as claimed in claim 4, in which the means for maintaining angular adjustment of said boring head include bar means connected with said mounting structure, and provided with longitudinally spaced notches, and means carried by said stationary member engageable with notches of said bar means appropriate to the angle desired.

8. An earth boring rig as claimed in claim 7, in which the connection of said bar means with said mounting structure includes a screw and nut connection through which a ne adjustment of the desired angle may be obtained.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

